First of all, De Niro did a wonderful job portraying the character of LaMotta.
However, I did not like LaMotta. I thought the way that he, and his brother, treated their wives was beyond terrible and abusive. Vickie, played by Cathy Moriarty, should have left Jake way before she did. All he ever did was abuse, accuse, and make her life terrible. Yet, he never acted that way UNTIL they got married. Just like Jake's wife before Vickie, he drove her out of the house with his constant yelling and hitting. However, with Vickie, he also added a giant dose of paranoia. Every little move she made, he thought she was sleeping with someone. Every little look or word she said was met with physical and verbal abuse. LaMotta may have been a great boxer, but that's where his greatness ends.
The scene in the jail cell was very haunting, I thought. It made LaMotta sit there in reflection of himself, and he kept repeating, "I'm not an animal." Yet, in almost every sense, he was. When he fought, he was indeed a raging bull, recklessly going into the opponent's reach. In love, he was a raging bull, rampaging about his house and on his friends and family in a rage. In life, he was a raging bull, charging headfirst into whatever he wanted and not caring of the consequences.
All in all, I can't say that I really cared a lot for this movie. The acting is phenomenal, but I just did not like the story or the main character. It dragged at bits, yet the fights were very well done and exciting. This is the first movie we've seen from the 80s, so I cannot yet say whether I think it deserved it's nomination as best picture for 1980.
I might have other notes to add on to this later, but as of now, I cannot think of anything else to say. Can't wait to see the rest of the opinions on here! Toodles, MRW
P.S., are we going to be rating these out of 10? Cause if so, I give this movie a 6/10.
